The present invention relates to the field of instructional materials. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a set of rulers which can be used to assist teachers in imparting the concept of measurements, particularly to educationally-challenged students.
Use of a ruler to take measurements is a particularly difficult concept for certain educationally-challenged students to embrace. Such students include autistic children. Distinguishing between a group of similarly-colored, closely-spaced lines is all but impossible for such students and produces a great deal of frustration for both the student and the teacher and, seldom, if ever, produces the desired learning.
The set of rulers used in the present invention, available under the trade name RAINBOW RULER!!, has shown remarkable success in overcoming the learning barrier incurred when conventional rulers are used in an attempt to teach educationally-challenged children. The teaching tools of the present invention comprise a set of rulers for teaching educationally-challenged students to read measurements, the set including a) a first ruler having a first group of incremental division lines for a first group of measured lengths, each of the lines of the first group having a first length extending from a proximal end to a distal end and being of a first color; b) a second ruler having the first group of incremental division lines of the first length and the first color and a second group of incremental division lines for a second group of measured lengths, each of the lines of the second group having a second length and a second color, the second group of lines having a proximal end extending from a distal end of the lines of the first group when the second group of measured lengths correspond to the first group of measured lengths; c) a third ruler having i) the first group of incremental division lines of the first length and the first color, ii) the second group of incremental division lines of the second length and the second color and, iii) a third group of incremental division lines for a third group of measured lengths, each of the lines of the third group having a third length and a third color, the third group of lines having a proximal end extending from a distal end of the lines of the second group when the third group of measured lengths correspond to the second group of measured lengths.
Each of the three rulers has a fourth group of incremental division lines for a fourth group of measured lengths, each of the lines of the fourth group having a fourth length and fourth color, the fourth length being greater than the first, second and third lengths. Most preferably, the fourth length is greater than a combination of the first, second and third lengths for measured lengths where the third group of lines extend from the distal end of the second group of lines.
An alternate aspect of the present invention is directed to the method of teaching children to read fractions of inches using this series or set of rulers.
Various other features, advantages, and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent after a reading of the following detailed description.